Winemaker Notes
As a blend of their best Chardonnay vineyard sites, the Estate bottling is one of the most compelling illustrations of the mountain. This wine is blended with shrewd precision, balancing aromatic intrigue, texture and the Mayacamas’ signature structural elements into a pure reflection of the vintage. The 2017 Estate Chardonnay exhibits Bosc pear and caramel with delicate salinity. The substantial palate exhibits toffee, cashew brittle and salted grilled peaches and finishes long with savory tension.

Critical Acclaim
WandS 94 Wine and Spirits
Lisa Valtenbergs blends this wine from parcels on the Jackson family’s Alexander Mountain Estate, a 5,500-acre property on the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains. This is a classic California chardonnay in the best sense: A fresh, oak-guided beauty in shades of green-gold and white. Oak contributes a hint of butterscotch sweetness to an otherwise savory wine, layering scents of white roses, apples and wildflower honey through a lasting finish. The wine feels gracious, perplexing, intense and pure.

JD 92 Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the Chardonnays, the 2017 Chardonnay Estate was fermented and aged 11 months in 33% new French oak. It’s a clean and crisp, with terrific notes of stone fruits, brioche, and white flowers. Possessing medium to full body, ample pure fruit, and a balanced style, drink it over the coming 4-5 years.

RP 90 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay Estate has fresh, crunchy fruit notes of red apples, apricots and waxy lemons with nuances of chalk dust, shaved almond and baker’s yeast. Medium-bodied, elegant, youthful and laden with apple and peaches flavors, it has a well-poised, refreshing finish.